Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Historic District facts for kids
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Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Historic District
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 30748-30832 242nd St. |
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| Nearest city | Harper, Iowa |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1898-1899 |
| Architect | Ferdinand S. Borgolte |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002277 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 6, 1986 |
| Boundary increase | February 25, 2021 |
Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church is an old church building. It's located near Harper, Iowa, in Keokuk County. This church was once a busy parish for the Catholic community. The church building itself was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Later, in 2021, the whole church property became a historic district. It was known as Saints Peter and Paul, Clear Creek.
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
Many German immigrants were among the first people to settle in Keokuk County. They mostly lived in Clear Creek and German Townships. Their population grew a lot by 1895. These communities started Catholic churches in the 1850s.
In 1857, Catholics in Clear Creek Township bought 20 acres of land. This land was for a church and a cemetery. Traveling priests would visit to hold church services. The first Mass was held in a log building on the land in 1859. The church community officially started in 1860.
The first church building was made of brick in 1863. It was named after the apostles Peter and Paul. The old log church was then used as a school until 1875. A new school building was built that year. A house for the priest, called a rectory, was built between 1893 and 1894.
Building the Current Church
The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi from Milwaukee taught at the parish school. They were there from 1895 to 1902. During this time, plans were made for the church building you see today. Ferdinand S. Borgolte from Rock Island, Illinois, was the architect. Harry Schroeder from Washington, Iowa, was the builder. The Hammes family also helped with the construction.
The bricks for the church came from Fuller & Schumacher in Muscatine, Iowa. The first stone of the church was placed on June 8, 1898. Bishop Henry Cosgrove of Davenport led this ceremony. The church building was officially opened on April 18, 1899. It cost about $10,000 to build.
Changes Over the Years
In 1902, the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood taught at the school for a few months. After them, regular teachers took over. The next year, the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee came to teach. A new school building was built in 1906. It also had living areas for the sisters.
A new rectory was built in 1911. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1930. The current rectory was built after that fire.
Two of the church's three bells were put in the tower in 1907. The larger bell weighed 2,060 pounds and cost $566. The smaller bell weighed 1,100 pounds and cost $290. The German language was used for sermons and services until World War I. People stopped using German because of strong feelings against Germany at the time.
In 1919, a special fence was added to the cemetery. This was a thank you gift because all 18 church members who served in World War I came home safely. Also, no one in the parish died during the 1918 flu pandemic.
In 1948, this church was one of 14 that started a youth group. It was called the Notre Dame Catholic Youth Organization. This group helped young people in the area connect and socialize. In 1950, lightning struck the church's bell tower, causing a small fire. The damage was not serious. In 1963, a parish hall was made in the church's basement.
School Closure and Parish Mergers
The parish school had 48 students in the 1966-67 school year. Because there were so few students, the sisters left the parish. The school then closed. Ten years later, the church members voted to join the Keota-Harper Catholic School System.
From 1969 to 1979, Rev. John Hebenstreit was the pastor. During his time, a parish council was created. He was the last priest who lived at the church. After him, Saints Peter and Paul shared a pastor, Rev. Robert McAleer, with St. Elizabeth's in Harper. In 1983, the old school building was torn down.
In 1988, St. Mary's parish in Keota joined the group of churches. This happened when Rev. H. Robert Harness was the pastor. On July 1, 1992, these three parishes officially combined. They formed a new parish called Holy Trinity. All three church buildings were still used at first.
As fewer Catholics lived in the area and fewer priests were available, decisions were made. Holy Trinity parish joined with St. Mary's parish in Sigourney. At the same time, it was decided to close Saints Peter and Paul Church. The last regular Mass was held on June 25, 2006. Rev. Marty Goetz, who had been the pastor since 2001, led this service. On June 13, 2009, Bishop Martin Amos approved selling the church building. It was sold to the Clear Creek Heritage Association.
Church Architecture
Saints Peter and Paul Church is a large building, about 42 feet wide and 76 feet long. It is built in the Victorian Gothic style. The building uses two shades of orange brick. The upper part of the walls is darker than the lower part. This is because there weren't enough bricks of the same color when it was first built. The foundation is made of local stone.
The church has a tall tower in the middle, which is about 150 feet high. When it was built, it was the tallest structure in Keokuk County! The outside of the church has fancy brickwork and decorative edges. There are two small rooms, called sacristies, on either side of the apse (the rounded end of the church).
Inside, the church has beautiful stained glass windows. It also has altars and pews carved from wood. The 14 stained glass windows in the main part of the church and the apse were given by families. They show different saints. The names of the people who donated them are written below. The altars are made of carved walnut wood with gold trim. A skilled woodcarver named Nickolas Juhl from Davenport is believed to have made them.
The rectory (the priest's house) is a two-story wooden building. It is built in the American Foursquare style. The cemetery has an iron fence with a stone base along two sides. This fence was added in 1919 as a thank you after World War I. All 18 soldiers from the parish came home safely, and no one died from the Spanish flu. Many of the gravestones in the cemetery have German writing. This shows the German heritage of the church community.
Images for kids
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Rectory
